Erica Enders to Go Top Fuel Racing?
Like most emerging young straight-line racers, Erica Enders started her journey in NHRA’s Jr Dragster category. Now it looks like she might return to those open-wheel roots, albeit with 11,000 horsepower behind her.
Elite Motorsports’ team owner Richard Freeman let the cat out of the bag this week: the team is looking for the financial backing and crew members to put six-time Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series Pro Stock champion Erica Enders in a nitro Top Fuel dragster.
Enders, whose car craft is above many in any category, could join several others who have migrated from the Pro Stock car and motorcycle categories to race Top Fuel and Funny Car. In the two-wheeled set, of course Antron Brown is the biggest name to make that switch and has added 60 Wally winner’s trophies in Top Fuel to his 16 in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Brown is grooming Angelle Sampey, his Pro Stock Motorcycle teammate at Don Schumacher Racing to join him in a dragster; she’s auditioning in Top Alcohol Dragster, the same venue chosen by new Top Fuel driver Tony Stewart, who came to straight-line racing after a stellar, Hall of Fame career in USAC, INDYCAR and NASCAR. Stewart finished second in last year’s Top Alcohol Dragster standings.
It’s a bit more common to see drivers go from one nitro class to another, witness Kenny Bernstein and, before him Don “Snake” Prudhomme. Kalitta Motorsports’ J.R. Todd has raced successfully in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, having earned the 2018 national championship in a Flopper. Troy Coughlin Jr. has driven Top Fuel and Pro Stock, staying in the latter class where he’s definitely having better results. Del Worsham has won in both classes, too, earning his Top Fuel title in 2011 and taking the Funny Car championship four seasons later.
Placing Enders in Top Fuel is a goal, not necessarily a definitive program. Freeman won’t move if Elite Motorsports doesn’t have the funding and the people in place to put Enders into a competitive dragster. He’s been talking with some of the most successful teams in Top Fuel, including Torrence Racing. Freeman has ordered cars and trailers from Precision Built Race Cars in Brownsburg, Indiana, notably the center of nitro racing.
By making statements with Joe Costello of www.WFOradio.com, Richard Freeman is hoping to entice partners to come on board and see if there are crew members out there who would be challenged working with Enders in a new setting. Will Erica Enders join Brittany Force, Jasmine Salinas and, possibly, Angelle Sampey as full-time members of the Top Fuel brigade in 2025? Both Freeman and Enders are hoping that’s the case.